Many fishing lures have means for causing erratic movement as well as means for attracting fish. These devices, however, are difficult and expensive to manufacture, difficult to maintain, and wear out easily. In addition, the lures do not resemble live bait, and the resulting erratic movements achieved by the lures often cannot be adjusted. For these and other reasons, these lures are unsatisfactory. The prior art is generally found in Class 43, Subclasses 42, 42.04, 42.1, 42.23, 42.39, and 42.49. Examples of the prior art are discussed below.
Powell (U.S. Pat. No. 3,393,465) reveals a lure comprising a hollow, cylindrical body with a weighted angularly-disposed front end with the leader connected behind the front end to impart erratic movement. Powell, however, cannot be "programmed" for a particular diving pattern. Additionally, Powell lacks the V-shaped diving trough and the adjustable point of attachment for the leader wire.
Olson (U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,333) discloses a fishing lure having selective position of the leader to the lure, a covered, beaded chain to the hook, and a ballast weight. While the multiple points of attachment may be used to adjust the performance of the lure, there appears to be little interaction between the weighted portion and the point of attachment. Furthermore, the lure lacks any hydrodynamic mechanism for diving.
Wade (U.S. Pat. No. 2,283,960) discloses a squid-like lure that features an inclined forward surface with a plate containing a plurality of holes for attaching the leader wire. The lure attempts to achieve a darting action as it is pulled through the water, with the amplitude of the action varying according to the point of attachment. Wade does not have a V-shaped diving trough. Furthermore, the use of the holes in the plate do not allow the lure to pivot about the leader wire, which is allowed with the present invention. Finally, there is no weight to interact and work against the adjustable point of attachment.
Welles (U.S. Pat. No. 1,297,617), Davenport (U.S. Pat. No. 1,744,366), Wagner (U.S. Pat. No. 2,618,096), Wittmann (U.S. Pat. No. 2,736,124) and Pagani (U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,078) all disclose multiple points of connection with the fishing line for adjustment of depth. There is, however, no disclosure of a darting-like action that is achieved through the feature. In fact, Welles, specifically, and the others, generally, aim to achieve a "uniform depth" as determined by the point of attachment.
Oney (U.S. Pat. No. 3,363,359) discloses a lure having a weight on a flat plate which causes the lure to progress with vertical zigzag darting movements. The weight, however, is intended to achieve essentially a horizontal positioning of the lure in the water before trolling is initiated, and not to assist in the diving function. Again, the lure does not have a V-shaped diving trough, nor multiple points of attachment.
Kresl (U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,221) discloses a lure that oscillates vertically and achieves a sine wave-like action as the lure is advanced through the water. The lure achieves its movement through the use of a "wing" and not through a diving trough. While the overall dive pattern of the lure may be similar to the present invention, it appears that the Kresl lure will continually spin while moving through the water. Additionally, there is no means by which the diving pattern may be adjusted.
Toivonen (U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,096) discloses a fishing lure that can be used for jigging, trolling or casting. The lure can be used to achieve an erratic, swimming effect, but the lure's structure appears to be unrelated to present invention, and the lure cannot be "programmed" to achieve different diving patterns.